House Bill 1573 is Mississippi's religious objection bill that LGBT activists contend could be used to discriminate against them. The cartoonist's homepage, clarionledger.com/opinion
Marshall Ramsey, The (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion-Ledger

Story Highlights

Stand up for ACA

Many Tennesseans are concerned that the Affordable Care Act was passed in a speedy fashion, leading to rising health care premiums and reduced access to health care.

However, in our legislators’ haste to repeal this law and “heal” health care, we need to watch for unintended consequences. As a physician, I feel obligated to share my perspectives.

First, giving people the freedom to decide if they need health care sounds like an all-American idea. However, if fewer healthier people choose to buy insurance, insurance companies will continue to raise premiums to cover the higher costs of those who buy health insurance because they need health care.

Second, cuts to Medicaid will uninsure many who are poor and disabled. This is tragic. As Pearl Buck wrote, “The test of a civilization is in the way that it cares for its helpless members.”

However, all Tennesseans, regardless of income or presence of disability, will be affected. This is because for every dollar Tennessee spends on its residents for Medicaid (TennCare), the federal government adds almost $2 in matching funds. If these matching funds are cut and replaced with a set amount of dollars (as planned), the state may need to limit a myriad other services that benefit Tennesseans.

Bill would harm patients

As a practicing physician, I look to the Hippocratic Oath, which tells us, first do no harm.

What does it say about us as a society that we have now elected a Congress to represent us that is purposely trying to eliminate health care coverage for those most in need of it? Republicans in Congress, both in the House and Senate, have now released their versions of health care reform that have been promised to their base to replace the Affordable Care Act.

This legislation does nothing to improve health care. It has been projected to reduce access to health insurance and decimate the Medicaid system. It does nothing to lower the premiums my patients pay for their care and does nothing to lower the already exorbitant prices of prescription medications.

I became a physician because I wanted to help those in need of care. I only wish our elected politicians could see potential grave harm this legislation could bring upon our society.

Andrew O. Zurick III, Brentwood 37027

Senatorial hypocrisy?

I read with interest an announcement from Sen. Lamar Alexander that he "led a group of 15 Republican senators introducing legislation that would roll back" an NLRB rule that "could force union elections in as little as 11 days.”

His objection to the rule was that such elections could take place before employers and employees "had a chance to figure out what is going on." So these 15 Republican senators object to what they call an "ambush election."

I was struck by the irony that these, or at least a majority of these, senators are not jumping up and down threatening the majority leader that they will not vote for a major health care reform bill that has been prepared in secret and is expected to come to the floor before July 4. Where are their screams about "ambush elections"?